Replacement kitchen doors in Tenerife

Replacement kitchen doors are the way to refresh the look without going through a full renovation. If your kitchen has a layout that works and the units are solid, swapping the doors, the handles and a few other details gives it a new look for a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen, and without weeks of your home being turned upside down.

When it is worth it compared with a new kitchen

It is worth it when the problem is cosmetic rather than structural. If you like the way the kitchen is organised, you have enough space and the units do not move and have not been damaged by water, replacing the fronts solves what bothers you.

It does not pay off in these cases:

• You want to move the sink or the hob, or open the kitchen up to the living room. That is a kitchen renovation with building work.
• The units under the sink or beside the dishwasher are swollen from leaks.
• The carcasses are made of very thin chipboard and the hinges no longer hold properly.
• The kitchen is too small for you or lacks drawers and tall units.

In those situations you are putting new doors on a base that is going to fail, and the saving does not last long.

What can be changed without touching the units

Everything you can see can be changed without changing what holds it up. The usual approach is to combine several of these:

• Doors and drawer fronts, which transform the kitchen more than anything else.
• Handles, or switching to doors with a finger pull or push-to-open.
• Plinths and end panels, so that everything is in the same finish.
• Worktop, if the current one has burns, open joints or a colour that does not go with the new fronts. You can see the materials on our worktops page.
• Lighting under the wall units with LED strip, which improves the work area and can be installed during the changeover.

The condition of the carcasses and hinges

The carcass is the box of the unit, and its condition decides whether replacing the doors makes sense. Before quoting, we check the sides and bases, especially under the sink, for swelling or damp marks. In coastal homes, and in the north of the island because of the humidity in the air, this point gets a closer look.

The hinges are the second check. If they are rusty or loose, or the hole in the carcass has worn wider, the new doors will not close properly. Replacing them at the same time as the fronts is usually the sensible option.

Finishes for the new doors

The finish is chosen according to how the kitchen is used and the look you are after. These are the most common:

• Laminate: hard-wearing, easy to clean and available in a wide range of colours and wood effects. It offers the best balance on price.
• Lacquer: smooth and even, in matt or gloss. It can be any colour, but a hard knock on the edge shows more.
• Solid wood or wood veneer: warm and repairable, it needs a little more care near steam and water.
• Fronts with an aluminium frame or glass for display cabinets in the wall units.

If you are unsure about colour, our guide to kitchen cabinet colours helps you combine fronts, worktop and floor. For the quote, we measure every front in your home, because the number of doors and drawers is what weighs most on the price.